Fire-escape.



EGBERT AUSVVELL MEADERS, JR., OF GRENADA, MISSISSIPPI.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application filed February 7, 1905. Serial No. 4 ,53

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EGBERT AUsWELL MEAD- ERS, J r., a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Grenada, in the county of Grenada and Stateof Mississippi, have made certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes,-of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in fire-escapes; and it consists incertain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will behereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the improvedfire-escape. Fig. Qis a vertical section thereof drawn transverselythrough the axis of the flattened cylindrical section of the casing.Fig. 3 is a detail section on about line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective View of the brake-bar, and Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the hooked lever.

In carrying out my invention I employ a casing having a flattenedcylindrical section A, which may be termed the main section of thecasing, and an upright cylindrical section B, the latter being mountedon and communicating with the section A at the upper side of the latterand being made of considerably-smaller diameter than the section A, asshown. As shown, the diameter of the casing-section B is substantiallythe same as the axial length of the section A, and the casing iscorrugated longitudinally at 0, whereby to brace the same and increaseits strength in use.

The section A contains the reel D, which has its stub-shafts D journaledin the opposite corrugations C, and one of the stub-shafts D is providedwith a squared socket D to receive a crank-handle, whereby the reel maybe rewound when desired. The reel is also provided with the end flanges(Z, between which the line E is wound, and these end flanges are pressedupon by the brake-bar F. This brake-bar Fis suitably guided at its endsby the side plates of the casing-section A. As shown, the ends of thebrake-bar F extend within the corrugations C below the reel D and arethereby held from movement in the direction of the circumference of thereel, and inwardly-projecting lugs f lapabove and below the brake-bar Fand cooperate with the corrugations C in preventing any considerabledisplacement of the brake-bar F. This brakebar F is preferably of springmaterial and is operated by a screw G, which threads at g in the casingand bears at its inner end against the spring brake-bar F ata pointbetween the flanges d of the reel D, so the brake-bar may be pressedwith any degree of force against theflanges of the reeland yet willpossess sufficient resilience to avoid any injury to the flanges (Z ofthe reel because of any slight inequalities in the surface of saidflanges. By this construction the operator carried by the sling G fromthe casing may exert any desired tension upon the line E in order toassist in controlling the descent.

The line E passes from the reel D up through an opening a in the top ofthe casing A and thence into the lower end of the casing-section B,whence it passes around a lower guide-pulley H in one direction, thencein the opposite direction around an upper guide-pulley I, and thence outof the top of the casing-section B, and preferably has a suitable hook Jwhereby it may be secured to a window-sill or to any convenient objectwithin the room from which the person desires to escape. The line E maypreferably be a small cable-wire of suflicient length to bear the weightof a descending person. By passing the line in reverse directions aboutthe guide-pulleys H and I it will be noticed I relieve to a great extentthe strain upon the reel D, and I also prefer to employ brake devicesoperating in connection with the guide-pulleys H and I and which I willnow describe. The brake devices for the pulleys H and I comprise twobrake-bars K and L, the brake-bar K being pressed by a screw K againstthe flanges of the pulleys H and I to any desired extent preliminary tostarting on the descent. It is not intended to manipulate this brake-barK during the descent of the escaping person; but I provide the brakebarL, held and movable at its ends in suitable keepers M, formed by lugscarried by the casing and arranged to be set in contact with the flangeson the guide-pulleys H and I by a lever N, operating upon a stem L,projecting from the bar L at a point midway between the pulleys H and I.This lever N is hooked at one end at N to engage in suitable seats at Nabove the stem L of the brake-bar L, so the lever may be applied andremoved by the operator whenever it is desired to manipulate thebrake-bar L, the lever being provided with a projecting portion or cam Nto act upon the stem L and force the brake-bar L toward the pulleys Hand I, it being preferred to make this brake-bar L of spring material,

so it will yield slightly to avoid any injury to the pulleys.

The screw K for operating the brake-bar K may be provided with aremovable key or head K such key being removed when the fire-escape isin action.

By preference one-half of the rim of the lower casing-section A may beopened and removed, it being provided with a catch 0 at the top and asuitable snap-fastening O at the bottom, as shown in the drawings.

In practice the fire-escape is intended to be made of such size that itcan be conveniently carried in a satchel or trunk and can be immediatelybrought into use whenever desired in ahotel or elsewhere. Ordinarily themain section of the casing will be about five or six inches in diameterand about two and a half with flanges, the brake-bar of spring materialarranged within the flattened cylindrical section and projecting at itsends into the corrugations at the opposite sides thereof, lugs above andbelow the opposite ends of the brake-bar, a screw operating upon thebrakebar at a point between the flanges of the reel, the upper and lowerguide-pulleys in the up- .per cylindrical section of the casing, the

brake-bar bearing upon said pulleys, means for exerting the desiredtension upon said brake-bar, the spring brakebar bearing against theflanges of the guide-pulleys, keepers in which the opposite ends of thebrakebar are movable, a stem projecting from the brake-bar between thepoints where it bears upon the guide-pulleys, and a lever operating uponsaid stem, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination in a fire-escape, with a casing, of a reel journaledin the casing, and upper and lower guide-pulleys arranged above the reelthe line passing from the reel around the said pulleys in reversedirections, and brake devices including a bar bearing near its endsagainst the guide-pulleys whereby to control the descent, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination in a fire-escape with the reel, and theguide-pulleys, of a casing having a flattened cylindrical sectionreceiving the reel, and an upright cylindrical .section communicating atits lower end with the upper side of the flattened cylindrical section,the casing having longitudinal corrugations extending alongside theflattened cylindrical section and the upright cylindrical section of thecasing, and the brake-bar operating upon the reel and projecting at itsends into the longitudinal corrugations substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination with a reel and a casing receiving the same, of aspring-bar bearing against the flanges of the reel, keeper devices inthe casing outside of the reel and between which the ends of thebrake-bar are movable, and operating devices acting on the brake-barbetween the flanges of the reel, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in a fire-escape with the reel, and the upper andlower guide-pulleys, of a brake-bar bearing adjacent to its ends uponthe upper and lower guide-pulleys, and a removable operating deviceacting upon the bar between the said guide-pulleys, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination in a fire-escape with the casing, and the reel, ofthe upper and lower. guide pulleys, a brake bar extending between theguide-pulleys and bearing at its ends against the upper and lowerguide-pulleys, devices operating upon the bar between the guide-pulleysfor pressing the bar against such pulleys, and keeper devices for theend of the brake-bar, substantially as set forth.

EGBERT AUSWELL HEADERS, JR.

Witnesses:

E. C. HAM, O. W. MoN'rAGUE.

